We may earn from vendors via affiliate links or sponsorships. This might affect product placement on our site, but not the content of our reviews. See our Terms of Use for details. Google’s longtime 15GB free storage perk is no longer automatic for every new account. Under Google’s updated support page, affected new accounts now start with 5GB, with the remaining amount unlocked only after users verify a valid phone number. Google says the test applies to new accounts in select regions and is meant to improve account security and data recovery. The change creates a new condition around a free tier that many users have long treated as a standard part of creating a Google account. How Google’s new storage setup works The smaller starting limit applies across the account’s shared Google storage, not just  Gmail . The 5GB cap applies to Gmail messages and attachments,  Google Drive  files, and  Google Photos  uploads.…